1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a nasal aspiration device and, more particularly, the invention relates to a nasal aspiration device featuring a battery operated nasal respirator that facilitates a more comfortable and sanitary method of clearing nasal passages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Helping infants and toddlers less than four years old clear a stuffy nose is a difficult challenge for most parents. Babies cannot blow their noses at all, and small children rarely blow their noses with the force to properly clear their nasal passages (they are still very young, after all). Parents are constantly wiping runny noses with tissues, and then continually administering medicines to stop the flow of mucus generated by colds.
To help clear clogged nasal passages in infants and children, parents typically use a manual nasal aspirator. Basic in design, these instruments essentially consist of a tapered insertion tube connected to a bulbous squeeze apparatus. As such, a parent need only insert the tube into a child's nostril, and repeatedly squeeze the bulb to create suction action. The mucus is then transferred from the child into the aspirator, and the unit is emptied by squeezing out the mucus into a trash container. As can be imagined, these manual devices present more than a fair share of challenges. Particularly, this method of clearing a child's nose is hardly sanitary, resulting in extremely unpleasant messes. Additionally, the design of the manual aspirator can be very uncomfortable for the child, resulting in a screaming, squirming baby who makes it even more difficult to complete the task.